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Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

I was thinking, when Ron comes into training camp next seasons, he isn't probably gunna be very sharp. It'll probably take alot of time for him to get into game condition. So I was thinking fellow Pacers fans, should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League? I personally think he should. I think it would do him some good and give us a look at him long before the season starts. That way, I can get my dose of Ron Artest that I've gone oh so long without.

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

It might get him back into the flow of things, but really the summer leauge doesn't have the highest level of compeptition, so it might not be beneficial for him. Also he wouldn't be playing with anybody that he would normally be playing with/against, just a group of B-Sides trying to make their mark. I would probably say that he should not. We don't want to risk an injury for something without any real meaning.

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

That would be a waste of his time. He will most likely continue his private workouts and play in "other" leagues designed for NBA players looking for summer play... I remember a few years ago, maybe around 99 or 2000, the Pacers would run scrimages in the summer at a gym near IUPUI. Dont know if they still do but they did.

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

I personally think Ron should come back and play in the Summer Leagues simply for the love of the game. He's been out and I imagine that he misses televised games, even if they are against people like Nikoloz Tskitishvilli.

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

Kinda like when Ron 'snapped' and broke Jordan's ribs over at Hoops?

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

I would not concern myself with Ron being in condition. Of that I have no fear whatsoever.

Do I think Ron needs the summer league? No.

Would it distract from others trying to make the team? Yes. But let's be real there is almost zero chance of a player not drafted by us being on our roster next season from the summer leagues.

Here is the real way I look at it though.

I would much rather have Ron play summer league ball in an organized setting than to be playing in the entertainers division at Rucker park. The last thing we need is for Ron to be out there playing streetball getting encouragement for bad ball.

But at the end of the day I don't really care.

Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

Do you guys not know the story? (Sam Smith put it in The Tribune and then everybody went into 'denial mode'). I certainly don't like Ron but there's enough garbage about him that I don't need to make anything up.

Jordan was teasing Ron about being broke during a summer pickup game at Tim Grover's gym (Hoops the Gym). Ron picked him up and bodyslammed him to the court.

Everyone who witnessed it was sworn to secrecy, and yes they tried later to tell the story of a "hard foul on a spin move", mostly in The Tribune's rival, The SunTimes. I mean, if you're going to use Rick Telander to discredit Sam Smith... well, I suppose neither of those guys are very high on the 'credibility' scale.

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

Well, in Chicago, with competing newspapers and competing columnists (even Sun-Times columnists have competing shows on ESPN for example) - and none of them function as "the Bulls' unofficial PR department"...

I think a case could be made that the truth is usually reported first, then everyone goes into damage control mode. But its always possible that somebody just plain lied to Sam Smith when he got "the scoop". The only people that really know were at 1380 W Randolph St. in Chicago that afternoon.

This is different from a market with only one newspaper, and that newspaper has a cozy relationship with the home team.

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

To me the bigger issue is not Ron playing summer ball but Bender. I honestly don't think he has ever played the full summer schedule w/out being sidelined due to an injury. I've been wrong before but I sure don't remember him completing summer play, and we all know, the benefits from that competition would be tremendous for our "favorite injury-waiting to happen". For Ron that competion is not so critical to his improvement.

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

If Jordan thinks he can "tame" Ron, make a trade with him.

Let's see, if Jordan ever gets another job in the league, what he really offers up for Ron.

I think there are a lot of GMs, etc. that will say publicly, "I'd love to have Ron" or as Riley said, "I'd love to have a team full of Ron's". But when you get them on a confernce call, and ask what they'd be willing to give up, it isn't much. And that's more meaningful than the public comments. Now these threads are all running together.

I can't find Jerry West's quote, I know we've had it in here. But it was Michael Heisley (Memphis' owner) that was interested in Artest. Not West. That's why the Bonzi-for-Ron rumors just won't die.

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

Well, I just believe that if there were any offers DW and LB believed they could sell to the public, they would've made a move. Its also fine to believe that Riley, et. al. were making legit offers and that DW and Bird turned them down.

Its interesting because we just read somewhere (I think it was from Peter May) that Bird wanted to move Artest last summer and DW overruled it. Many of us thought it was the opposite.

I'm not going to talk about this any more. I keep breaking my rule. We'll see what happens over the summer.

I know. I wish I could stop myself. Well, the forum will speak up soon about which of us they "love to hate" more...

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: Should Ron Artest participate in the Summer League?

Back on topic...

Personally, I really like the idea of Ron playing in the summer league. It'd get him back to feeling like part of the team, and more importantly, it'd give him a taste of how he's gonna be treated by opposing fans, which, in a word, will be brutal. He needs to be exposed to that so he can (hopefully) mentally prepare himself for when the season arrives.

Plus, if Ron is as good at helping guys in practice as they say, it'd be the first step in reforming his image. Not only is he taking his licks by working his way back onto the team, but he's helping them become better.

Problem is, jackass Stern would never allow it. Any wiff of it, and he'd postpone reinstating Ron until October.